JKD as a style? I hate to say it, but probably irrelevant. MMA has pretty much picked up what JKD was, and gone on to be more relevant to the public.

If you accept JKD as a training paradigm, and not a style, then MMA is really an extension of JKD. Pretty relevant when you look at the number of people that are incorporating that type of training into their study.

_________________________"In case you ever wondered what it's like to be knocked out, it's like waking up from a nightmare only to discover it wasn't a dream." -Forrest Griffin

I have and always will view JKD as a concept, not a style. It's like my Sifu has said in the past "JKD was MMA before MMA was MMA". I think every time you use your own mind to expand on a system or style you are familiar with, or incorporate something that works better for you from another system, THAT is JKD.

I'm not going to go into a long philosophical debate or anything but i also view jkd as more of a concept. I also really don't believe that lee ever meant for it to become a style.

It seems to me a concept to better improve your self and your own methods and art. Also i won't lie i think bruce also wanted to make his mark on the world and so he did.

But to me the concepts of jkd will always be relevent.

As for is jkd as a style which some people teach that way relevent, well i guess i think its relevent even that way still if nothing less even if the person does not understand the concepts of it they will at least have a simplified fighting style which can improve their chances in a fight if nothing else.

But like i said to me it was never a style, thats just what people did to it with time.

I agree with Matt, in that the concept of JKD as a training paradigm is just as valid as it was then. I would also point out that I feel this concept has almost become part of MA culture. It is very common for people to cross-train in two or even three styles of MA, something that really was not very common 40 years ago.

The style- well I feel the JKD style is very much based around the attributes of Bruce Lee- quite light, very fast etc. Dan Inosanto however teaches a style far more suited to his own physique. This makes a lot of sense to me. The style of JKD in my experience is so diversified among different instructors, that it is just as relevant as it was 40 years ago.

I think JKD will have a long life ahead of it, if it continues to evolve and refuses to turn itself into a certain type of fighting style. When I can tell from looking at a JKD guy that he trains JKD(as I'm sure most of us could looking at a WTF TKD guy or a MT guy), then JKD has a problem IMO.

To those who have replied so far....your hearts are truly JKD grasshoppers:). : I agree, the essence of JKD is in the current training and I am sure Bruce would approve greatly. I think he would also be impressed with the fact that the "way" of training is just the "way" of training. As he said, Don't get caught up in the name JKD. Ken

Indeed, I dont even like to use the term JKD when referring to lee's concepts, it was just his way of thinking and to get wrapped up into his way of thinking HIS concepts and findings and whatnot, your defeating the purpose. Having no way as way, yet your still using HIS way of thinking as YOUR way of thinking.

JKD seems to be a total contradiction. Lee never finished his work, imagine what would of happened if he would of ended his studies with saying TMA study yields better results.

I havent seen anyone come out publically with advancements in the JKD communitiy, so I would have to say its less relevant today than it was before. More eyes were opened when gracie arrived then bruce, and most MMA guys consider bruce nothing but a halfway actor with considerable MA skill.

If bruce never existed, todays MMA world would be the same, NHB fights are held all over the world, surely these people have come to the same conclusions but without the movie star status.

Its wierd, I change my mind on JKD every other day, making a formless art, when I think if he were to continue to learn under yip man he would of realized all arts are formless once youve reached THAT level of thinking.

I can kick, you can kick, but we both kick different, one way is better than the other, but unless we continue to pass on which way is better ( through forms ) how can we expect to continue evolving ?

I have nothing against JKD or lee, its basically the exact way I feel about the MA. Thing is, without form you dont know what good form is, so how can you expect to be formless if you dont even know what form is ? How do you teach someone to be formless unless they are figuring it out for themselves, that is true formlessness(even a word ? lol )

Im just rambling, I hope I didnt offend anyone, and I hope you can read what I wrote, lol!

I really don’t think that Lee would have ended his studies saying that TMA would yield better results. At the core of what JKD is and has been about is, aliveness. Often you will find the UTMOST “deadness” within TMA. Kind of the direct opposite of where he was headed I think.

And JKD WAS the MMA before there was MMA, I agree with that statement. Only now, we’re better because we’ve dropped classical/compound hand trapping and have added more sophistication to the ground game because of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

So all this said, what do you think of those who train engrossedly upon a crystallisation of Bruce's style at the point of his death? And furthermore, rally to try and keep it as 'pure' and non deviant as possible?